Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) have gone missing along with their service rifles in south Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Tuesday. HT reports.

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) have gone missing along with their service rifles in south Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Tuesday.

Ghulam Mohiuddin and Gul Mohammad left the District Police Lines in Kulgam town, around 75 km from here, on Monday night without informing any official.

“The two SPOs carried their AK-47 rifles and some magazines with them. They were posted in the area for five years and gave us no reason to believe that they could take a step like this,” said Mubashir Latifi, superintendent of police, Kulgam.

SPOs are hired by the state police to mainly work in and around the areas they belong to. Besides acting as troopers, they also liaise between the community and the police.

Two counter insurgents, Bashir Ahmad and Shakeel Ahmad, working with the police have also reportedly gone missing along with the two SPOs.

The counter insurgents are believed to have taken 450 rounds and two hand grenades after breaking open the weaponry chest of two constables.

It is suspected that the four renegades have deserted the police to join the ranks of the militants.

However, the police refused to confirm reports of the counter insurgents.

A case has been registered in the concerned police station in this regard and a hunt has also been launched to trace the missing personnel and the arms and ammunition.

“We have information that they have gone on their own and it is not a case of abduction. We have launched a manhunt and they will be arrested soon,” Latifi said.